Observations of the legal scene from the Cornhusker State, home of Roscoe Pound and Justice Clarence Thomas' in-laws, and beyond.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Nebraska Supreme Court affirms robbery conviction from Gage County; denies defendant's appeal to allow testimony of other inmates that another suspect committed the robberies; denies appeal on prosecutors closing arguments; denies appeal on other crimes evidence; denies appeal on evidence of prior convictions.State v. Epp, S-08-331, 278 Neb. 683Miller-Lerman-J."William A. Epp appeals his convictions and sentences for robbery and possession of a deadly weapon by a felon. Epp was found to be a habitual criminal and was sentenced to imprisonment for 60 to 60 years on each of the two convictions, with the sentences ordered to be served consecutively. We affirm Epp’s convictions and sentences."Whether or not the district court erred in refusing to admit the portions of Mick’s testimony at issue, the guilty verdict rendered against Epp was surely unattributable to such error. The court refused portions of Mick’s testimony in which he denied that he committed the Wymore Casey’s robbery and denied that he told Blessing and Forney that he committed a robbery. Such testimony did not support, and instead refuted, Epp’s defense that it was Mick and not Epp who committed the robbery. Epp presented other evidence raising the possibility that Mick rather than Epp robbed the Wymore Casey’s. The jury apparently rejected such evidence.